Sheet-metal culvert.



E. R. PBOBERT. SHEET METAL CULVERT. APPLICATION FILED HJLV 3!.19l5.

"Patented Sept. 26,1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN R. PROBERT, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOESCHL- EDWARDS CORRUGATING' COMPANY, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, A CORPO- RATIOIN OF KENTUCKY.

SHEET-METAL CULVERT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed July 31, 1915. Serial No. 43,027.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. PROBERT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentuc have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Metal Culverts,'of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tubular metallic culverts and, more especially, to those made up in lengths or joints of pairs of semicircular top and bottom sections.

The object of the invention herein is to pro vide lengths or joints of transversely corrugated semi-circular pipe sections with longitudinal channel irons or strips that are adapted to the seating-engagement of longitudinal, flanged strips for the co -acting edges of pairs of sections, whereby tubular joints of greater or lesser length are equally and uniformly adapted to be assembled in tubular form for use and without the employment of clips, bolts, rivets, or the like in assembling and using the pairs of sections comprising each joint of pipe, and thus facilitating said assembling of the joint-sections as well as economizing in the class of labor necessary to lay the pipe.

A very material, as well as essential, feature of the invention herein resides in the longitudinal channel irons or strips that are adapted to be suitably attached along one edge of each transversely-corrugated metal section and an L-shape strip adapted to be mounted on the opposite longitudinal edge of said corrugated metal section, the top and bottom sections of each length or joint having said channeled and flanged strips along their opposite longitudinal edges and adapted for the co-engagement of the flanged-strip along one edge of thetop section of a joint with the channeled-strip along the adjacent or supporting edge of the bottom-section and vice versa for the coengaging opposite longitudinal, adjacent edges of the top and bottom sections of the 'oint. 1 J The details of structure will be fully hereinafter described and then more particularly pointed out in the claims that follow.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation showing my invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2, a

fragmentary cross-section showing my improved channel-and-flange joint that is used between the longitudinal, alined edges ofthe top and bottom sections of my improved culvert-joint; Fig. 3, a plan view of the bottom-section shown in Fig. 1, showing the manner of applying a channel extensionmember along one edge of the joint and a flanged extension-member along the other edge of the joint and, also, the manner in which said channel-members are offsetted or curtailed at one end of the bottom-section and ofisetted or extended at the opposite end of said bottom-section to provide or make due allowance for the lapping of one or more corrugated formations or ribs at the opposite ends of said bottom-section in laying the pipe in culvert-form; and Fig. 4, a longitudinal section taken on the dottedline a, a, of Fig. 3.

1 indicates the bottom-section and 2 the top-section, which, when duly assembled in pair form, serve to produce a joint or length of culvert-pipe, each of said sections being transversely corrugated or ribbed, as shown at 3, 3 in connection with each of the two sections. These sections are adapted to be made either long or short, as desired, my invention herein being especially adapted for use in connection with long lengths of culvert-pipe joints, as will be readily understood from the description thereof that I shall now give. 7

Each of the sections 1 and 2 is made of semi-circular cross-section of like dimensions but I prefer to apply along one edge of each culvert-section a longitudinal channel iron or strip 4: that has a right-angled extension 5, the latter beingadapted to encompass or fit over the longitudinal edge of the corrugated section and the channelportion extending outwardly beyond the edge of said corrugated-section, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Along the opposite longitudinal edge of the same said section I apply alongitudinal, horizontallyflanged member or strip 6 that integrally extends outwardly from a U-shape longitudinal member or strip 7, the latter encompass ing or fitting over said last-named longitudinal edge of the corrugated-section, as best seen in Fig. 2, and the two matching members 4 and 6, (channel and flange,) respectively, being adapted to close the longi tudinal joint between the top and bottom sections of the culvert-pipe length, also as best shown in said Fig. 2.

Ordinarily, it is not necessary to turn the outer member of the channel 4: over and into contact with the foot or laterally-extending portion of the flange-member 6, but I have shown at P, in dotted-lines, in said Fig. 2, how the final locking of the joint is made at the opposite sides of the culvert-pipe joint, whereby no chance will be offered for the two sections of each joint to part in a vertical direction, unless, of course, but hardly, in a longitudinal one. In the preferred form of joint made between the sec tions as shown in Fig. 1, the outer'flange of the channel-strip turns upwardly along one edge of the bottom-section and downwardly along the opposite edge of said bottom-section, making it a little more diflicult to under-turn the said outer-flanged portion of the channel-member that turnsdownwardly than it will be to down-turn the upturned member of the channel-member along the opposite edge of the said bottom-section.

I prefer the structure or arrangement of the channel-and-fiange members of the section-joints shown in Fig. 1 because, taken first, from a manufacturers standpoint,both top and bottom sections correspond or are interchangeable and they match much better in packing and shipping, and besides there is no, what is termed, rights and lefts to confuseor delay those laying the pipe or culvert, which would occur quite frequently if the sections were otherwise made, that would not match in nesting and that might frequently result in an over-supply of bottom-sections or of top-sections which, of course, would not match in the, laying thereof for culvert use, as flange-members would not make joint with other flange-members along companion sections, nor channel-members make proper joint with channel-members along companion or pair members of culvert-j oints.

The inner flanged-portions of the members 5 and 7 of the section-joints are preferably, but not essential,'riveted, as shown at 8 in the several views, it requiring but two or a few more rivets, one at each end and another in the middle of the length of said members 5 and 7 to fasten said members 5 and 7 in place along the longitudinal edges of the top and bottom sections.

Instead of using the rivets 8, the channel and flange members are adapted to be fastened in place along the opposite edges of the top and bottom sections by means of spot-welding that can be applied to two or more of the inwardly-disposed corrugations of the said sections, or they may be freely clasped in place over the corrugated edges of the said sections, if desired, the corrugations in such instance being somewhat resilient and providing a tight fit for the inner or main channeled-portions of the ointingmembers between the upper and lower pipesections.

At one end of each ofthe top and bottom r sections I cut out or ofiset, as shown at 9, 9, the fastening-portions 5 and 7 of the channel and flange members, respectively, and'at the opposite end of each of the sections I cut out or offset, as shown at 10, 10, a

the channeled strip 4 and the flanged strip 6, such offsets, 9 and 10, being about the length of one full corrugation made in the sections-so as to provide-at least that much metal for a lapped-joint at the opposite ends of each length or joint of culvert-pipe. Of course, the amount of lap at the opposite ends of each culvert-pipe joint may be varied to suit the length of such joint, or the diamete: thereof, or the character of the ground or inclosure in whichthe culvert is laid. 4

The top and bottom sections made-with the interlocking channel and flange members are very readily laid in place and will not collapse or crush in use, and highly skilled labor is not required in matching the joints, or the several sections of each, it being ordinarily preferred to make up or couple the top and bottom members to completev each joint or length of culvert-pipe before laying it in position in where provided therefor. I

The channel joi ting-members between the longitudinal edges of the pairs of pipesections serve to hold the said edges in ver tical, practically abutting alinement and to stiffener to strengthen the edges against side collapse.

I claim 1. A metallic, transversely-corrugated culthe trench or else vertpipe member of semicircular cross-section and having in tightly clasping or cap,- ping engagement with each of its opposite, longitudinal edges a continuous, plane, reinforcing and alining channeled-strip, one of such plane, capping channeled-strips having an integral Ut -shape outwardly-extending flange and the other channeled-strip having an integral inverted-L-shape out.- wardly-extending flange. V

2. In combination, a lower, metallic culvert-pipe member of semicircular cross-section and having transverse corrugations made therein, inverted-U-shape plane channeled-strips adapted to tightly clasp. or-cap and reinforce the opposite longitudinal edges of said lower-member, an integral, U-. shape flange outwardly-extending from one plane, capp ng channeled strip,'an integral inverted-L-shape flange outwardly-extending from the otherjplane, capping channeled,- strip, a corresponding upper, metallic, cor,- rugated, culvert-pipe member,- U-shape. plane channeled-strips'each adapted to tightly clasp or cap and reinforce the opposite longi- 10 dinally alined or abutting joints with intervening plane, tightly-capping channeledstrips and integral outwardly-extending flanges on such channeled-strips adapted to be seated and bent over into interlockingcontact.

EDWIN R. PROBERT.

Witnesses:

JOHN ELIAS JONES, BERL B. RIGDQN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

